David N. Dilks,

FRHistS The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the ...

(born 17 March 1938) is a British historian and former professor of International History at the

University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...

Early life and education

Dilks was born in Foleshill, a suburb of

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, and attended The Royal Grammar School Worcester before winning a scholarship to

Hertford College, Oxford Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...

, to read history.

Academic career

Dilks remained in Oxford to do research at

St Antony's College St Antony's College is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in intern ...

before becoming research assistant to

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

and

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

. He was the official biographer of the latter as well as producing a two-volume biography of the viceroy of India,

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

, and an incomplete biography of

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

. Dilks was Professor of International History at the University of Leeds from 1970 to 1991. In 1977 he became a Visiting Fellow of

All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full me ...

. Professor Dilks became

Vice Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...

of the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...

in 1991, serving until 1999.

Selected works

*''Sir Winston Churchill''. Hamish Hamilton, 1965. (from the "Men and Movements" series) *''Curzon in India''. Rupert Hart-Davis, 1969-70. (2 vols.) *''The Diaries of Sir Alexander Cadogan, 1938-1945''. Cassell, 1971. (editor) *''The

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

: A History from their Origins to 1965''. George Allen & Unwin, 1977. (contributor; editor

Rab Butler Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), also known as R. A. Butler and familiarly known from his initials as Rab, was a prominent British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politici ...

) *''Retreat from Power: Studies in Britain's Foreign Policy of the Twentieth Century''. Macmillan, 1981. (2 vols.) *''Neville Chamberlain: Volume 1, 1869-1929''. Cambridge University Press, 1984. *''The Missing Dimension: Governments and Intelligence Communities in the Twentieth Century''. Macmillan, 1984. (co-editor with Christopher Andrew) *''The Office of Prime Minister in Twentieth-Century Britain''. University of Hull Press, 1993. *''Barbarossa: The Axis and the Allies''. Edinburgh University Press, 1994. (co-editor with John Erickson) *''Communications, the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

and the Future''. University of Hull Press, 1994. *''The Conference at Potsdam, 1945''. University of Hull Press, 1995. *''Epic and Tragedy: Britain and Poland, 1941-1945''. University of Hull Press, 1995. *''Rights, Wrongs and Rivalries: Britain and France in 1945''. University of Hull Press, 1996. *''

de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

and the British''. University of Hull Press, 1996. *''Great Britain, the Commonwealth and the Wider World, 1939-45''. University of Hull Press, 1998. *''Collective Security, 1919 and Now''. University of Hull Press, 1999. *''The Great Dominion: Winston Churchill in Canada 1900-1954''. Thomas Allen & Son, 2005. *''Churchill and Company: Allies and Rivals in War and Peace''. I.B. Tauris, 2012.

References

1938 births Living people Writers from Worcester, England People educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester Academics of the University of Leeds Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford Vice-chancellors of the University of Hull Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Fellows of the Royal Historical Society {{UK-historian-stub